Tube-cleaner.



T. ANDREWS.

TUBE GLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1900.

Patented July 22, 1913.

UNTTE STATES PATENT Ol l lttl l.

THOMAS ANDREWS, OF ROCKAWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMAS ANDREWSMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ROGKAWAY, NEW JERSEY, A (JOB- IDRATION OF NEWJERSEY.

TUBE-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1913.

Application filed .Iu1y 8, 1908. Serial No. 442,481.

To all who 17bit may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ANDREWS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roclraway in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Tube-Cleaners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in tube cleaners and hasparticular reference to an apparatus for cleaning scale and othercorr-oding elements from the interior walls of boiler tubes and thelike.

The apparatus is constructed to receive a motive agent preferably in theform of high or low pressure air or steam but may have utilized inconnection with the operative parts thereof a motive agent in the formof water and other fluids.

In the following is described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings one embodiment of the invention, the features thereof beingmore particularly pointed out hereinafter in the claim.

Tn the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view' of theapparatus, parts being shown in elevation to more clearly illustrate theinvention; and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line rl..B ofFig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral. views.

In the drawings 1 designates the body of the casing having formedtherein an eccentric bore indicated at 2 forming at that point a fluidchamber 3. Said casing 1 has formed on one end thereof a threaded nipple4 adapted to receive a head 5, said head 5 having formed thereon athreaded nipple 6 adapted to receive a coupling-head or pipe 7 which inturn communicates with any suitable source of fluid supply. The otherend of said casing 1 has formed thereon an extended reduced portion 8adapted to receive one end of a hollow shaft 9, which has a bearing inthe ends of the casing 1. The said shaft 9 has slidably mounted thereina rod 12. The inner end of said rod 12 passes through the head 5 and hasrigidly mounted thereon a shutolf disk 13 held ad justably in place onsaid rod 12 by means of the lock-nut 1 1.

The shaft 9 has mounted thereon a rotary driving-head 15 extending thefull length of said fluid-receiving chamber 3. Said rotary driving-head15 has mounted therein valves 16 mounted in recesses 1'? formed in saidrotary head. One end of said valves 16 is provided with enlargedportions 18 which taper toward the other end so that the outer surfaces19 of said valves conform to the outer periphery of the rotary drivinghead providing at that point a surface that will readily contact withthe interior surface of chamber 3. The inner surfaces 20 of said valves16 are formed in such a manner so that when said valves 16 are seatedthere will he a small fluid-receiving slot 21 formed between the smallerend of said valve in the head forming a passageway for the motive fluid.The fluid-receiving head 5 has formed therein a port or passageway 22adapted to convey the motive agent from the pipe connection through portto by-ports 24: which in turn communicate with fluid-receiving slot 21formed between said rotary head 15 and valves 16. The casing 1 has alsoformed at its outer end a recess 25 having mounted therein aplunger-head 26 held normally closed by means of a. spring 2'1. Saidrecess 25 com-- municates with shaft 9 at 28, providing at that pointmeans for supplying the operative parts of the apparatus with alul'iricant. The fluid-receiving port 22, described above as beingformed in fluid-receiving head 5, is formed in said fluid-receiving headin such a manner so that the outer opening thereof at 29 is adapted tobe covered or closed by the shut-off disk 13.

The rod 12 has mounted thereon at its outer end a plunger 31 suitablymounted in a chamber 32 formed. in the body portion of rotarysupporting-l1ead 33 and connected or integral with shaft 15. Said rotarysupporting-head 33 has pivotally mounted therein, as at 34k, arms 35provided a t their outer ends with means for receiving pins or studs 36carrying a plurality of cutters 37. The pins or studs 36 have formed ontheir outer ends tz'i iering heads 38 and at their inner ends or the endengaging said arms 35 a loclcnut 39 adapted to assist in holding saidcutters 37 in place on said pins or studs 36. Plunger 31 has mountedthereon a head 410 having pivotally mounted therein, as at 1-1, links 12which are in turn pivotally connected as at 43, to lugs 4+1; cast withor formed on said arms 85. Said shaft 9 has formed therein a fluidpassage way 45 adapted to convey the motive agent from the source ofsupply to chamber 32, in said rotary supporting-head The casing 1 hasformed therein an ex haust port 16 communicating with expansion chamber3 at the lower edge of said expansion chamber, as at. 47, which conveysthe exhaust fluid to exhaust port 48, which in. turn conveys saidexhaust air to atmosphere through the outer end of said casing 1, as at49. In order to assist the exhausting of expansion chamber 3, anauxiliary exhaust port is provided communicating with expansion chamber3 by means of byports 51. The exhaust air as conveyed through said port50 is also carried to the atmosphere through the outer end of saidcasing l. The rotary action of the apparatus cannot be started until thecleaner arms are swung inwardly sufficient to move the rod 12 and disk13 and thereby to open the port 22.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. A fluid under pressure isreceived from any suitable source of supply (said source of supply isnot shown in connection with the accompanying drawings) byfluidreceiving head 5, whence said fluid is conveyed through port 2 tofeed port 23 through by-ports 24 to receiving-groove 21 formed betweensaid rotary core 15 and valve 16. Said live fluid as received by saidrotary head will instantaneously cause the rotary driving-head torotate, which gradually increases in speed by means of the expansion ofsaid live fluid in said expansion chamber 3. Immediately upon therotation of said rotary driving-head the shaft 9 will be driven which inturn causes the drivinghead 33 to rotate at the same rate of speed andthe cutters 37, carried by arms 35 and lugs 36, to engage the interiorwalls of a tube and remove the scale or corroding element therefrom. Theexhaust fluid will assist in removing the scale, etc., from the interiorof a tube after it has been displaced by said cutters. In case theinterior diameter of a tube should by chance be larger than the mainbody of the tube, or the velocity of the driving-head too great, thefluid, as conveyed from the source of supply through air passageway 4-5to chamber 32, will cause the arms 35 carrying the cutting-heads, toswing outwardly and draw rod 12 longitudinally of the apparatus andcause shut-0ft disk 13 to cover the mouth 29 of the live fluid port 22and automatically stop the rotation of the motor. The automatic shut-offdescribed as being associated with said rotating mechanism provides specific means of preventing any possible rupture to the tube, also anypossible dislocation of the operative parts of the apparatus.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

A device of the character described comprising a hollow casin having aport in one end communicating with the interior thereof, a driving headin said casing having a valve adapted to either open or close said portwithin said casing, a hollow shaft having bearings within said drivinghead and provided at its front end with a head having a chamber therein,a plunger in said chamber having a rod connected therewith and extendingthrough said hollow shaft, arms pivotally connected to said hollow shafthead, links pivotally connected to said arms and plunger, a couplingconnected to said casing and forming a chamber at one end thereof, and adisk connected with sait rod adapted to close the port of said casingwithin said last mentioned chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS ANDREWS.

Witnesses JOHN R. Hannor, DAVID L. lVALsH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Illommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

